Stop Writing Horrible Emails That Suck

I probably get a couple of these emails per day. First, I can’t believe people send them. It’s a waste of time. Secondly, the response rate/conversion must be nearly down to 0.01% or something.

Well, here it is – I’m taking the company name out:

Subject: Meeting Request

Hi Tony,

My name is [REMOVED] and I am a Business Development Manager at [REMOVED]. I came across Webstix during my research and I am intrigued to learn more about your IT roadmap & see if we can work together to scale your efforts.

We are a full-service technology company specializing in custom software, integrations and migrations, web and mobile apps, platform modernization, dedicated resources, and teams.

Please reply to this with one of the following:

1. Sure, share your availability for a call
2. Sure, 15 mins this week
3. Sure, send me your profile deck
4. Sure, send me your rate sheet

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank,
[REMOVED]

P.S. Please let me know if you don’t wish to hear from me anymore and I’ll exclude you from our email list.

Let’s Dig Into It…

Let’s see what we have here:

• My, I, I, I, we, your, we you.

That’s a whole lot about you, right? Why not talk about what’s in it for me? You’re not the hero of my story. I am. And your email needs to reflect that. What problems can you solve for me? You must know because you work there. What have you successfully done for companies like mine? Give me an example.

And let’s back up to the subject line: “Meeting Request” Oh, great… another meeting! Who wants yet another meeting? I need to get my work done. Unless you are really going to help me in some way and that I can clearly see how, I do not want your meeting, sorry. Why is that something that would dazzle me? No way. Right off the bat, it’s a no-go.

OK, the number thing is a little cute, but it’s the equivalent of getting a note passed to you in third grade, asking to check a box if you like someone or not.

Oh, and then you want ME to tell you if I don’t want to hear from you anymore. So, more work on my end for you. Really?

This email, at least, don’t stink of desperation, but it’s just not done right. It’s all about you. Don’t you read emails, and in your head, think “OK, what’s in it for me here?” Emails will not stand out unless that’s done.

The closing, “Thank” looks like a typo. And why not give me your website right there, so I can at least easily go kind of check your company out a little on my own?

The Poor Guy, and What About His Boss?

This guy’s boss maybe told him to send emails without giving him any direction or help, I’m guessing. He’s paying the guy to do work that’s meaningless without being a true leader and pointing him in the right direction. Instead, the decision was basically made to tarnish the company’s name by sending out emails that have not been vetted or tested one bit. That’s dangerous marketing, if you ask me. What a waste of time, too.

Let’s rework this train wreck into something that might actually get a response.

How This Should Have Been Done…

I actually wrote a full post on how to make your marketing emails convert like crazy, so if you want the deep dive, check that out. But let’s fix this one real quick…

Here’s a breakdown of what I see that’s bad and how it can be improved:

Here’s a rewritten version of the email that puts the focus where it should be: on the recipient (you), your business, and real value. It’s conversational, respectful, and designed to spark curiosity instead of eye-rolls:

The Rewritten Email

Here’s a rewritten version of the email that puts the focus where it should be: on the recipient (you), your business, and real value. It’s conversational, respectful, and designed to spark curiosity instead of eye-rolls:

Subject: A Way to Scale Webstix Without More Headcount?

Hi Tony,

I’ve been following Webstix and noticed how solid your work is — especially the kind of projects that require tight coordination between frontend and backend. Very impressive.

We work with agencies like yours to help handle overflow or expand capacity without needing to add full-time staff. If you’ve ever wished you had a few extra hands on a custom build or integration, that’s exactly where we come in.

We’ve recently helped [Agency Name] reduce turnaround time by 30% on their higher-end builds. Happy to share a quick overview if that’s helpful.

If the timing’s not right, no worries at all. But if you’d like to chat or just grab the deck, here’s what I can send:

• • A 90-second overview of what we do (no fluff)
  • Real examples from agencies doing similar work
  • Our current pricing sheet

Either way, I appreciate what you’re building with Webstix. Keep it up.

Best,
[Your Name]
www.yourdomain.com

P.S. Totally cool if this isn’t relevant right now — just let me know and I won’t follow up.

Why This Works:

• Starts with you, not “I” or “we”
• Offers relevant, tangible value — not a list of generic services
• It looks like this might solve a problem for me
• Gives options without being pushy
• Keeps the tone light and professional

Final Thoughts

Cold emails can still work—but only if you flip the script. Focus on the recipient, not yourself. Speak to their pain points, offer real value, and make your message easy to digest. The goal isn’t to book a call in your first sentence—it’s to spark interest and earn trust. When you treat someone’s inbox with respect, you’ll stand out in all the right ways.

Got any thoughts on this? Do you get these emails, too? Tell me in the comments below, but let’s not be too harsh on this poor guy.

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